This house near Hamilton, Ontario, relies on a combination of fireplaces and straw walls to keep it warm, with a rooftop meadow adding to its green credentials (+ slideshow). More about Straw bales insulate monochrome house in Ontario by Nicolas Koff
Tiny porthole windows pierce this concrete extension to a Granada primary school by Elisa Valero Arquitectura – a protective measure against stray balls from the adjacent sports court (+ slideshow). More about Circular perforations create natural spotlights inside Elisa Valero's concrete school extension
This family home in Toronto by local firm Paul Raff Studio features a brise-soleil made of aluminium louvres, designed to "bounce sunlight deep into the space". More about Aluminium louvres screen facade of Toronto home by Paul Raff Studio
Bright white surfaces, industrial shelving and a grey marble counter create an uncluttered interior for this Porto clothes shop by local studio Fala Atelier (+ slideshow). More about Fala Atelier converts Porto shoe shop into pared-back fashion boutique
Rising sea levels and a shortage of development sites are leading to a surge of interest in floating buildings, with proposals ranging from mass housing on London's canals to entire amphibious cities in China (+ slideshow). More about Floating architecture will offer "an improved way of living"
Google is attempting to improve the aesthetics of the home Wi-Fi router with coverings by 24 artists and designers, including a fake-fur sheath and a cover that turns a device into a fruit bowl (+ slideshow). More about Google aims to turn unloved Wi-Fi routers into design objects with crazy covers
A floating window seat, a sunken roof terrace and a basement cinema room feature among the 33 projects shortlisted for Don't Move, Improve 2016 – a competition to find London's best home extensions (+ slideshow). More about London's best new extensions revealed in shortlist for Don't Move, Improve 2016 awards
French studio Atelier Fernandez & Serres has completed a cultural centre outside Nantes featuring pale stone walls and sloping roof planes that echo the forms of neighbouring houses (+ slideshow). More about Pale travertine walls frame Cour et Jardin cultural centre by Atelier Fernandez & Serres
Kubo Tsushima Architects gave a curved form to this public toilet in Japanese town of Nakanojo, to avoid creating spaces for dust to collect or spiders to lurk (+ slideshow). More about Kubo Tsushima Architects develops an alternative to Japan's "dismal" public toilets
A flight of stairs wraps around the exterior of this mixed-use concrete tower in Seoul's busy Gangnam district, freeing up prime rental space on the ground floor (+ slideshow). More about Sae Min Oh designs irregularly shaped block in Seoul as a "three-dimensional street"
The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles reopened this week following an extensive renovation, featuring a new wavy steel and aluminium facade designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (+ slideshow). More about LA's Petersen Automotive Museum reopens with KPF-designed metal-ribbon facade
Studio Egret West has unveiled a "revolutionary new design vision" for London Underground stations of the future (+ slideshow). More about Studio Egret West reveals designs for future London Underground stations
From limited-edition watches to folding toys, Postmodern coffee makers to notebooks that turn sketches into digital files, Dezeen editor Anna Winston picks 21 of the best new designs to give an architect or designer this holiday season (+ slideshow). More about Dezeen's Christmas gift guide for architects and designers
A crucifix and bell are set into two hollows in the swollen brick facade of this chapel, which was designed by Wandel Lorch Architekten for a site in Hamburg's docklands (+ slideshow). More about Wandel Lorch completes chapel with bulging brickwork in Hamburg docklands
Slovenian firm Svet Vmes Architects has renovated the entrance hall of a 126-year-old school in Ljubljana, adding glass cabinets that resemble geometric line drawings (+ slideshow). More about Svet Vmes adds black-framed glass cabinets to school entrance hall
London collective Assemble has become the first architecture or design studio to receive the prestigious Turner Prize for art (+ slideshow). More about Assemble wins 2015 Turner Prize for Liverpool housing regeneration project
For the first time in 45 years, architecture students at Stockholm's Royal Institute of Technology have their own building on campus – a round block with weathering steel walls by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter (+ slideshow). More about Tham & Videgård's Stockholm architecture school features a curving skin of pre-rusted steel
Dutch designer Thomas Vailly has collaborated with four other designers to create furniture and products that combine pine wood with natural dark resin (+ slideshow). More about Thomas Vailly unveils product collection made from black resin and pine
Tokyo studio Naf Architect & Design designed this house in Niigata to fit around a narrow driveway, which doubles as a space for outdoor get-togethers during the neighbourhood's annual lantern festival (+ slideshow). More about Roadside House by Naf Architect & Design has a driveway that doubles as a party space
London studio Emrys Architects has converted a pair of warehouses in London's Covent Garden into apartments, including a pair of penthouses slotted underneath the original pitched roof (+ slideshow). More about Emrys Architects creates six homes in converted Covent Garden warehouses